Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-10-03
2tlonth's Column.
A Talk TO SchooIbozs.

/ suppose most boys Jnlnh bud1 Tie
reason why they are sent to school
i To Get an education, and that if
they learn their lessons sufficiently
well to pass the examination and
finish the prescribed course of study
and be graduated, they will have
that education and be ready for the
business of life. But the object of
the best schools nowadays is not
simply the book-learning to be
gained, but to give to a boys spirit,
mind and body the best moral, men
tai. and physical training which he IS
capable of receiving, so that when
schooldavs are ended a boy shall be
equipped with a healthy and active
BODY. a mind with alert perceptions,
and well trained reasoning faculties
and a moral nature whose will Is
strong enough to govern both mind
and body perfectly. This a great
deal to do, but it can be done If a
boy will help his school to do it, and
the way he can help is by his conduct.
When a boy behaves well he will
ALWAYS play his fairest and study
his best. so that his mind and body
and spirit are all being trained well
together.
Every boy cannot carry off the
first prize for languages OF mathe-
MATES in his school, but every boy
can be perfect in conduct if he will
And for the comfort of those boys
who do not rank first in class l will
saw. that although rank in class Is
ALWAYS worth trying for, and every
bov Is bound to do his best, vet 1t Is
not ALWAYS the most brilliant schol-
ars who make the most successful
men. was reading not long since
the experience of gentleman who
gained a part of his education ut
that historic institution, the oldest
school in America, which Is called
the Boston Latin School. Says he:
Il came home from this school at
the end of the first month with re-
port which showed that l was ninth
in a class of fifteen; that Is about
the average rank which l generally
had. l showed it to my mother be-
cause / had to. To my great sur
Prise and relief she said 1t was
very good report. l said thought
she would be displeased because !
was so low in the class. 'Oh' said
she. that is no matter. Probably
the other boys are brighter than
YOU. God made them SO, and YOU
cannot help that. But the report
saws YOU are among the boys who
behave well. That you can see to
and that Is all l care about.
That boy is now Rev. Edward
Hale. one Of our wisest philanthro.
pists. and one of our most brilliant
writer's beside.
Every boy knows that he transact
a good deal Of business during ;
school term besides learning his les
sons and playing his games. ii
has q great many plans and scheme
which he is busy about. Perhaps b
takes to taxidermy. and has variou
natural history collections of beast
bird or fish. Or he plunges int
mineralogv or botany with enthus
asm. Or he is occupied with prlvat
experiments in chemistry, or inveI
tions in mechanics, and all thes
things are excellent in their wa!
are as much a part Of his educatio
as his lessons. But it is on the-
points that l would like to give n
boy friends q gentle word Of warl
ing. For one thing, do not speI
too much time on these thing
Keep them in their proper place, Al
they will rarely get you into troubl
Occasionally, however, somethir
NAV 90 wrong through your inc
perience or carelessness. 1t Is su
prising what propensity things ha
to explode or burn up. or at t
least TO make a very bad smell, or
leave a dreadful stain when they a
being managed by a boy. We
when YOU are in a scrape, own
and take the consequences, and nev
attempt to slide out Of it. You W
have gained a valuable piece of e
perience, for / am sure you will new
attempt to do that particular thi
in exactly that way, besides addi
a bit of strength to your mol
character by temptation succe:
fully resisted.
School days are a delightful peri
of life. l don't say that they 8
the happiest times you will ever St
for / don't think that will be tru
but it is true that your happiness
men depends greatly upon the I
YOU make of your time while you /;
boys, for now you are building ha
by habit and thought by though
the characters which you will ha
when you are men; so you shot
cherish now every generous aim a
noble ambition which you would Ii
to achieve as men, and scorn eve
mean and ignoble act now, as c,
daily as you expect to do then a
practice every Christian virtue no
as heartily as you mean to the
and if you do these things you W
be certain of a life which will bri
bannfnasS To vOurSa1f and q hlaGEi